The U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of the Army through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance collaboration between agencies, and leverage resources to meet the Nation’s need for reliable and affordable renewable hydropower. This MOU builds on previous work between the agencies to strengthen long-term coordination, prioritize similar goals, and align ongoing and future renewable energy development efforts.

The MOU and resulting action plan will detail overarching topics to increase sustainable hydropower generation and flexibility, while identifying a specific set of activities that the agencies will collectively undertake. These commitments were designed to represent a new approach to hydropower development that will result in clean, renewable power generation.

An Action Plan has since been developed that provides the framework for collaborations that will address emerging hydropower issues and enhance technology research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in five topic areas:

1. Asset Management
2. Value of Hydropower
3. Workforce
4. Water Supply Reliability
5. Environmental Outcomes

Under each of these five topic areas, the Agencies, in collaboration with the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs), proposed projects based on industry needs. These projects, as identified, will inform deliverables and outline the resources contributed by each Agency and the PMAs, which can be found in the Action Plan document.

Review the full Memorandum of Understanding for Federal Hydropower 2020 for more details. 

View the MOU Action Plan for further information and the full list of Frequently Asked Questions.

For more information on past MOUs, visit the past hydropower MOUs web page.